Helping Animal Owners Deal With Pet Peeves

The economy has taken a toll on pet owners this year. The recession is forcing many animal lovers to give up their pets, which is also taking a toll on the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. The animal shelter is near capacity, but officials are coming up with new ways to keep those pets at home instead of in the shelter.

"Instead of bringing your pet in and surrendering it because it continually pees on the couch, let's just try something else," Sioux Falls Humane Officer Andy Oestreich said.

The Sioux Falls Area Humane Society will start classes in December to help pet owners deal with some of those behavior issues because most of the time the owner doesn't want to give up their dog either.

"A lot of people they come in and they are crying because they really don't want to surrender their animal. They are at wits end, and this way they have an opportunity, an alternative, versus surrender," Oestreich said.

The class is set up to deal with the pet's problem in one session, but sometimes the owners and their pets will have to come back again. A trained dog behaviorist will run the program, which is set up to deal with some of the more serious issues.

"They chew up the couch while you're gone, they have signs of separation anxiety, and he addresses issues like that and how to deal with those," Oestreich said.

Because the Humane Society would rather see the animals stay with their owners and fix those pet peeves.

The class costs $50 and is limited to ten pets and their owners. The first two sessions are scheduled for December: